FAMU, FSU resume basketball play after 16 seasons

Stephen Stone

Seminoles.com

The Florida State women’s basketball team has announced its four-game non-conference schedule for the 2020-21 season, including a Nov. 25 date with FAMU.

The schedule also includes two home games against rival Florida on Nov. 29 and Austin Peay on Dec. 6. In addition to FAMU, the Seminoles’ other non-conference road game is against Northwestern on Dec. 3.

The season opener at FAMU is rather poetic for interim head coach Brooke Wyckoff. As a freshman, Wyckoff made her Seminole debut at FAMU, which was also the same game head coach Sue Semrau made her FSU coaching debut.

 Wyckoff will now make her coaching debut at FSU in the same location. The matchup between the two Tallahassee schools is the first since the Seminoles won 85-66 at the Tucker Center on Dec. 2, 2004.

 “Being able to announce some sort of a schedule makes things feel a bit more normal,” Wyckoff said. “Our four non-conference games will help prepare us for what is the best conference in the country when we get into ACC play. Our team is anxious and ready for that season opener on Nov. 25 at Florida A&M. And while we will have to operate at a reduced capacity this season, we cannot wait to see our fans at the Tucker Center again.”

Meanwhile, it was announced that the Seminoles will play a 20-game conference slate that includes home matchups against Louisville, NC State, Syracuse, Duke and Miami

   Florida State’s ACC opener will be at home against Virginia on Dec. 13. The rest of the home slate includes Pitt on Dec. 20, Clemson on Dec. 31, Georgia Tech on Jan. 31 and Wake Forest on Feb. 28.

 Prior season ticket holders are being contacted via email with information on how to purchase 2020-21 season tickets. Donors and Coaches Club members began purchasing season tickets last Monday on Seminoles.com. Tickets can also be purchased by calling the FSU Athletics Ticket Office at 1-888-FSU-NOLE. Season tickets went on sale last Tuesday.

 This year’s slate of home games includes three tiers for season ticket packages. The Tier I season ticket package includes sections 123, 124, 101, 102, 103, 111, 112, 113, 114 and 115 ($75 for adults, $50 for seniors and youth).

 The Tier II season ticket package includes sections 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 116, 117, 121 and 122 ($50 for adults, $25 for seniors and youth).

Florida State Women’s Basketball is also offering VIP packages in place of the previous courtside season ticket tier, which is temporarily suspended for the 2020-21 season due to COVID-19 safety protocols. Interested purchasers can inquire with the Florida State Athletics Ticket Office for more information.

 This year, the Florida State Athletics ticket office will be utilizing an e-ticket system where ticket purchases made prior to game day will be emailed to each customer. Tangible ticket stubs will only be available for tickets purchased on game day. Tickets purchased prior to the season will be emailed during the week of Nov. 24.

 The annual rivalry matchup with the Gators resumes this year on Nov. 29 at the Tucker Center in FSU’s home opener. FSU has won four consecutive games against one of their in-state rivals, winning 66-55 last year on the road.

 For the second straight year, the Seminoles head back to Chicago when it travels to Northwestern for a road matchup on Dec. 3. The Wildcats emerged as one of the nation’s most impressive teams last year, going 26-4 overall and 16-2 in the Big Ten prior to COVID-19 canceling the NCAA Tournament.

 FSU and Northwestern have never faced off in women’s basketball.

 The Seminoles’ final non-conference home game before the ACC schedule is Dec. 6 against Austin Peay. Game times for all four non-conference matchups will be announced at a later date.

 FSU continues to rank among one of the nation’s premier programs, entering the 2020-21 campaign with eight straight 20-win seasons and joining Louisville as the only ACC teams to finish in the AP Top 25 in each of the last six seasons.

 Although the Seminoles lost their top three scorers last year in seniors Kiah Gillespie, Nicki Ekhomu and Nausia Woolfolk, they still return a strong cast this season mixed in with some quality transfers. Juniors Morgan Jones and Valencia Myers are FSU’s leading returning scorers, while sophomore sharp-shooter Sammie Puisis comes back as one of the ACC’s best shooters after drilling nearly 40 percent (39.8 percent) from beyond the arc a year ago.

 Graduate transfer point guard Tiana England also bolsters the lineup, as the St. John’s transfer is the NCAA’s active leader in career assists with 509.